A VILLAGE is in line to get a much-needed village hall - thanks to the local ladies' darts team.

Players from the women's team in Wensley, near Leyburn, decided to act after a couple of drinks during one of their weekly fixtures.

Setting themselves a target of raising £30,000, they got the support of other villagers and, last month, the newly formed Wensley Village Hall Association received a major boost when it was granted charitable status.

Alison Simpson, joint co-ordinator of the project and captain of the darts team, said: "We got together one night and decided the village needed a hall.

"For over 30 years, the residents of Wensley have been without any community facilities.

"Village meetings have been held in people's homes, cow byres and marquees.

"We also have a village reading room that is against all European regulations there is.

"It has no toilets, no kitchen, steep stone steps and is very cold."

The new hall would be used for sports days for local children, a luncheon club, coffee mornings for the elderly, art clubs, a book club, mother and toddler groups, keep-fit and yoga.

The facility would built in land off the village green, known locally as Cuthbert's Garth.

The land is owned by Lord Bolton, who is patron of the village hall charity, but is named after Cuthbert Kirkbride, an elderly member of the association.

The proposed hall would be a wooden cricket pavilion- style building, supplied by local firm W S Hodgson and Co, of Barnard Castle.

Villagers hope to raise at least £5,000 with local events. The rest of the money would come from outside organisations.

The association hopes to have the hall built ready for the fittings to be installed by Christmas.

The villagers are being supported by Richmondshire Council for Voluntary Services (RCVS).

Judith Bromfield, RCVS chief officer, said: "We're supporting them through the process and we're delighted that they've achieved charitable status.

"We look forward to working with them to secure the funding they need for the project."

A survey conducted in 2003 found that about three quarters of Wensley residents thought a village hall was a good idea